Improvement in machines for attaching stamps and sealing letters



E. T. THO MAS. Machine for Attaching Stamps and Sealing Letters. P10165520, PatentedJuly13,l875.

EDDY TAYLOR THOMAS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR ATTACHING" STAMPS-AND SEALING LETTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 165,520, dated July 13, 1875; application filed December 1-2, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDDY T. THOMAS, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and Improved Letter Sealing and Stamp Affixin g Machine, of which the following is a specification:

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my improved lettersealing and stamp-affixing machine Fig. 2, a vertical section of the same on the line 0 c, Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a plan view of the same, and Fig.4 adetail vertical transverse section on the line a" 00, Fig. 3, through the stamp-supplying cup.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The invention will first be fully described, and then pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing, A represents a suitable base or supporting-plate, which carries the different operating parts, they being arranged with a view to compactness and cheapness. A box-shaped casing, B, about the size of the envelopes mostly in use, is provided at its front part with a letter opening device, a, a nloistening device, I), which consists of a middle sponge -holder, (1, and upper and lower guide-plates d, the lower for the purpose of passing the gummed flap of the envelope through the same, and moistenin g the mucilage thereon the upper, being about the size of a postage-stamp, for moistening the envelope at the place where the same is to be affixed. The moisture is supplied to the spongeholder 61 from a water reservoir, 0, arranged in any suitable manner either at the rear of casing B, or inside of it, or in any other position, as found most convenient. The waterreservoir 0 is connected by water conveying channels with the sponge, the supply of water being regulated or entirely shut off by a stopcock, e. Above the upper guide-plate d is arran ged in a suitable supporter a sliding springroller, (1 for sealing wrappers, large letters, &c., the yielding roller adjusting itself to the thickness of the same.

The sealing is accomplished, after the envelope is first passed through the moistenin g devices on the casing B simultaneously with the attaching of the stamp, by a springlever,

D, with broad end plateD, which is brought down, by a blow of the hand on the knob of the same, on the top of the casing and the interposed folded envelope, so as to seal thereby the moistened flap. The lever D actuates, at the same time, a sliding spring-rod, f, which engages in suitable manner one end of a fulcrumed lever, f, so as to raise the other end, and thereby a sliding block, g, and a number of postage-stamps, which are placed with face downward on the block, and guided therewith, in a suitable stamp cup or receptacle, B, in casing B, so as to feed, with each stroke of the lever, a stamp to the moistened place of the envelope, and attach the same thereto, while the pressure of the plate seals the flap.

The stamp cup or receptable B is used for that class of stamp most frequently employed while, for the purpose of attaching also stamps of other denominations, a series of smaller stamp cups or receptacles, B, are arranged above-eusidewise of each other on base-plate A, and operated by means of a spring'rod, F, which slides in a guide standard, F, and engages fulcrumed levers and movable stamp-blocks in the same manner as before described.

The sliding spring-rod F may be adjusted readily to engage any one of the levers of the smaller stamp-cups, when the same are arranged above each other, by placing the operating pins or lugs g at different points of the circumference of the same, and turning the rod F, by means of a circumferential top groove, 9 and set-pin into position to strike the exact lever required.

In place of the actuatingrod F any other equivalent mechanism for feeding the stamps to the moistened part of the envelope may be used, provided only that the stamp is carried against the same with the necessary pressure and regularity to adhere securely at the required point. The stamp-cups are provided with hinged or pivoted doors, for placing a new supply of stamps on the blocks whenever the stamps therein have been used up.

The different processes of moistenin g the flap and stamp part, and of sealing the envelope and applying the stamps, may thus be attended to, by means of this simple apparatus, with great celerity and facility, so that the same forms a time and labor saving article for various business and other purposes for which a great amount of mail matter has to be sent out.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination of sponge cl, guides 01 (Z and self-adjusting roll (1 as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination of spring-lever D having pressure-plate D and. sliding spring-rod f actuated thereby, with the casing B, stampcup B, and stamp-feeding mechanism for producing the simultaneous sealing of envelope and the affixing of stamp, substantially as specified.

EDDY T. THOMAS.

Witnesses:

CHAS. A. WALTERS, J ULIUs S. SHAILER. 

